Yet Another Lift Kit Question...

I've spent quite a bit of time trying to find some facts about fitting 33s on an early CJ, but I haven't found any sort of consensus on it.

So here's the specs:
'67 CJ5A, 225, 4.88s, twin stick, overdrive

And the options:
33 x 9.5, 10.5, or 12.5 (I'm leaning toward the 10.5)
Wheels will be 15x7 with -6 offset

I won't be cutting fenders
I will be making new bumpstops, as the old ones are trashed

From people who currently or have run 33s, how much lift will I need to run 33s with no street rubbing and no/minor offroad rubbing? A little fenderwell rubbing is OK under full flex, as long as nothing is getting destroyed.

Now before I get kicked off, here's a pic of my Jeep, currently on 30x9.5x15:
https://ibb.co/0YmbQW4

 

I (and many others on here) run 2 1/2" BDS springs and 33x10.50R15 tires. Minor rubbing on the inner rear fenderwells, and you'll lose some turning radius.

 

x2, my first thought as well. However that is really a good looking jeep just like it is, bet it drives good too. JMO, don't know if I would even change it.

 

I agree but since his avatar says Rubicon or bust, he's gonna need more than 30" of tire.

 

AH, I missed that, he is gonna need some bigger and softer tires and maybe some lockers too if he doesn't already have them.

 

Thank you for the responses

I'll be putting in some lunchboxes and will likely go with an actual locker in the rear when funds allow it.

 

Do you by chance know what backspacing your wheels give you? I take it you aren't using - err - excuse me, running wheel spacers.

 

FYI, it looks like your Jeep already has a 2.5" lift on it. You can likely bolt on 33s and go.

 

Ok. Now that you mention that, I think I remember seeing "rancho" on the springs somewhere. Do you have any numbers as to the stock bumper/rocker height from the ground? I've tried searching for that but haven't had any luck.

I think I remember the guy who I bought it from telling me that he downsized the tires because they were rubbing. There were definitely big tires on it at some point judging by the badly rubbed fenderwells in the back. That's probably due to the trashed bumpstops.

 

BDS 2.5" lift is pretty much the standard "bolt on" kit for a Rubicon capable early CJ5 on 33's.
You will likley want to run a 1/2" or 1" extended HD shackle with them to get a touch more lift. You can buy these or make them yourself.
Most of our Rubicon crew is in the 23"-24" range from the ground to the bottom of the rocker panel.
You can be down in the 21"-22" range but you will be beating your rockers up pretty good if you do not have stout rocker protection.

If you have Rancho lift springs they will work too, just expect a harsher/ less flexible ride. Your front shackle angle is really good; typically Rancho lift springs have poor shackle angle so they may be sagging quite a bit. My concern would be more the age/condition of the springs and breaking them. Leaf springs take a ton of abuse on a spring under jeep when wheeling. They will often get hit on/drug across rocks.

If it is your goal to travel clear across the country to run the Rubicon, start with a solid foundation of known parts...... PUT A SET OF BDS 2.5" SPRINGS IN IT.
Broken leaf springs are very common on the Rubicon, imagine being 3,000 miles from home, in the middle of nowhere, with zero cell service, no access to parts stores, with a broken leaf spring and 10 more miles of very tough trail to go.
I am not being dramatic here by any means........ Those nightmare stories happen every summer out here and they play out on the various FB pages and message boards.
There are very few Early CJ's out on the trail. Most of them are heavily modified and no longer use the same parts as you. The chances of someone having a spare part for an early CJ is slim.

Fenderwell rubbing under full flex is going to happen on the Rubicon, no matter what.
Wheel spacers will be your best friend against body damage..... Get those tires stuck out a to keep the rocks away from the body.
Billet 2" spacers all the way around would be my minimum recommendation with 7" minimal offset wheels.
What is so wrong with fenderwell rubbing? A 2.5" lifted jeep on 33's will experience that in the Rubicon gatekeeper......

 

Ok, Thank you. I'll be building some (probably frame-mounted) sliders for it.

I'll want to replace the leafs anyways, as I have no idea how old they are and they've taken enough force to bend the bumpstops like tin.

I'm around 450 miles away form the Rubicon. I'll probably make a new post as I get closer to the eventual Rubicon trip, but what are the main parts that I should replace and carry spares of?

Right now I know nothing about backspacing and offset, but 7" of offset seems like a lot to me. Did you mean 7mm perhaps? The wheels I've looked at are -6mm offset which, according to the interwebs, would give me 3.73" of backspacing with no spacers.

 

You should spend some time reading our past Rubicon trip threads.
Here is a link to our upcoming 2024 trip.
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/156954/page-4

 

4" XJ Cherokee bumpstops make good replacements. https://www.amazon.com/Autoacc-Suspension-Compatible-Cherokee-1987-2001/dp/B09SH387S2?th=1

You can slot the holes and they will bolt right in. You can also trim the length as needed:

 

Thanks. I'll do some reading on that. Unfortunately, I probably wont have the money and time to get it ready this summer, but I'll probably be able to get it ready next year.

 

That's interesting. I was going to buy some generic mounts and fab a bracket to put them on so I can get max articulation out of it, but this might be a better option.

 

If you go to the Members Market section there is a guy who sells sliders/steps that are Rubicon worthy. The sliders bolt through the rocker and floorboard, you can tie them to the frame if you like.

Do you have a group that you plan to run the trail with? You may want to browse through our past trips.
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/153722/

http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/149495/

http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/145762/

7" wheels is in refrence to the 7" wide wheels that you say you plan to run. A 33"x10.5"x15" works well on a 7" rim with wheel spacers.
That is the setup that I have on my Jeep.

 

I'll take a look at those sliders. I would like to build my own for the learning and experience, but if I can buy some at a good price I'll definitely consider them.

I don't have a group to do it with. That's one of those things that I'm going to put off until I remember that I need to do it 5 minutes beforehand. I need to convince my friends to get Jeeps and come with me haha.

Wheel spacers are officially added to the list. Any specific brand that you recommend? Any popular brands that I should avoid?

 

All good advice.
I would only add that it is my preference for springs that have a military wrap. Your Rancho's likely do. My well worn ( and comfy riding) Superlift springs do as well. I have a Skyjacker kit here that does not. I wouldn't trust them to surviving hard wheeling.
I agree your Jeep probably has a lift installed. I'd get the tires and wheels, then make a determination.

 

When it comes to sliders, I'll be making some rear quarter sliders like you see on modern Gladiators and AEV trucks. A CJ5 probably won't need them, but I'd like to spend the time and figure out mounting and design on an easy vehicle before I possibly chop up my Dakota bedsides. I'll also be making some when In build a crawler. Since I don't have access to a tube bender and would make mine from square tubing, I'll most likely build them on my own. My square tubing and booger welds wouldn't match very well with that nice slider, and the most important factor when offroading is good looks.

 

There are lots of different wheel spacer manufacturers out there. You really just need to make sure that you get billet aluminum and they have the proper size ID hole for the front wheel hub to fit through.

As far as Rubicon goes.....
It should not be a trip that is taken lightly and decided upon with a bunch of first timers and first time rigs in 5 mins.....
If you spend some time looking through the past trip threads that I posted above, you will get a good sense of the caliber of rigs we are running on the trip. All of our rigs are well built and we still have a couple break downs every year. Last year we took 14 vintage Jeeps through the trail. Our group saw 2 steering boxes ripped off of their frames and a broken U joint.